Photos: Unification Church holds mass wedding

Updated 1345 GMT (2145 HKT) February 17, 2013

Photos: Unification Church holds mass wedding19 photos

Unification Church holds mass wedding – Thousands of couples take part in the Unification Church's International Mass Wedding Ceremony, also known as the Cosmic Blessing, at Cheong Shim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, South Korea, on Sunday, February 17. More than 20,000 people were expected to participate, including 1,000 couples getting married for the first time, 2,500 previously married couples, and 13,000 guests. The ceremony signifies the transcending of race and religion by creating God-centered families, according to the church, which is known for mass weddings and arranged matches.

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Photos: Unification Church holds mass wedding19 photos

Unification Church holds mass wedding – Hak Ja Han Moon, right, the widow of the late Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, sprinkles the church's holy water onto newly married couples. This was the first Cosmic Blessing since the death of Sun Myung Moon, who passed away in September 2012.

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Unification Church holds mass wedding – A bride waits for her wedding ceremony to begin.